Turtle or Not
by KadynG
Summary: As a 17 year old girl searches for her missing birthday present, she meets an unbelievable group of ninjas. Who knew this kind of birthday present could lead her to find someone that can change her life so dramatically? MikeyxOC. Includes humor, romance, and hurt/comfort.
1. Just Maybe?

**A/N: Hello! This is the first chapter of my first TMNT story. C: And I know some people like the 2003 version better and some like the 2012 version better. Sooo, this story is a mix of the 2003 and 2012 version. For example, if you like Mikey's catchphrase, 'Cowabunga' he'll proudly annoy the pee out of his brothers with it. If you like his newer one, 'Booyakasha' he'll loudly shout that one too. The same goes for their looks, even though I like to think of Raph being the taller one of them. ;) This mix of versions also applies to my future TMNT posts. (Nice, cute stories focused on just two brothers or all of them_._)**** Ok! Sorry for rambling. Enjoy! **

* * *

"Tullius!" I get down on my hands and knees to peek under my bed. "Tullius?" When I see only darkness and not my cat's little, furry face, I sadly stand back up again. This is when_ that _thought crosses my mind. I turn slowly around to my open window, my brows furrowed with worry. "Oh no…" My heart begins to race and I scramble for my window. I look out onto the fire escape platform, hoping to see Tullius, but he wasn't there. I whimper, thoughts of him falling from the platform then wandering around in the cold, dark of night filling my head. I should have checked to see if my window was completely closed before I left for school, but I didn't. My new cat I had just received for my 17th birthday, was gone, nowhere to be found. I had looked all over the apartment, under all the beds, dressers, and I also looked in all the closets. He wasn't in any of those places!

I run my hands down my face in frustration, having spent hours looking for him after I got home from school. "Aw, man." I ease myself onto my knees again, resting my arms and chin on the window seal. "Where did you go?"

Outside a cool wind blows, bringing goose bumps to my light, peach colored skin. I shiver and cross my arms over my chest, using my hands to rub my arms. This forms the picture of Tullius in my mind again- cold, hungry, and alone. My frustrated expression fades, a dejected one replacing it. "What should I do? Where on earth could he be?" Right as I finish saying this, I hear a faint meow. I jump up. "Tullius?" I poke my head out the window. I hear another meow, but it was louder this time. I quickly climb out my window and onto the platform. "Tullius!"

"Merrow!"

I turn towards the iron steps that lead upwards to the roof of the building; It sounded as if he was above me. A broad smile spreads across my face and I start to jog up the steps, skipping a few along the way. "I'm coming, Tullius!" I shout excitedly.

My family's New York apartment being on one of the higher floors, it doesn't take me long until I'm on the last set of stairs.

I think to myself, _'Whew. Little guy must be tired from traveling all the way up here.' _

I watch my feet race up the last set of steps, trying hard not to trip up; I have to admit that I'm not that great on my feet. Finally, I soon see roof top underneath my left foot. I go to lift my head, only to have my right foot get caught under the last step. I yelp loudly and land flat on my stomach, my knees getting a good skinning in the process. "Uuh…" I moan, "Gosh dang it." I painfully lift my head and wince when I try to get up on my knees. The tip of my nose also starts burn; I must have skinned that up real good too. Now on my knees I hold my face in my hands, my breathing heavy and shaky. "Geez..." I shake my head when tears start to form in my eyes. "No, no, no. I gotta," I wearily look up. "find Tulli-" Just then my words get caught in my throat, and my eyes grow wide. My mouth drops open and I instantly forget about my pain.

Four human-like turtles, all of them wearing a different colored mask, stare back at me from a few feet away. I stare back at them in dumbfounded shock, wondering if I'm seeing clearly.I blink hard and rub my eyes, but when I opened them again they were all still standing there! I have never seen such a strange sight before… Well, in real life anyway.

Then to my surprise, one in an orange mask causally turns to one in red and says, "Whoa, she's actually not screaming and running away."

At that I briskly stand and stumble backwards a bit.

_'What does he mean by screaming and running away?!' _

"Good goin', Mikey, ya scared her." The red banded one grumbles.

"I'm pretty sure we're all scaring her, Raph." The purple clad turtle replies.

I look at them all in disbelief, and that's when I notice a small, furry animal in the hands of the orange masked turtle. I gasp when I realize who it is. "Tullius!" I step forward. "Please don't hurt him! He's mine!" I squeak.

"Tullius? Who's that?"

"The cat you're holdin', dipstick."

I stare at them in distress, a begging look clear in my eyes.

_'I just want my cat back and to get out of here!'_

The one in blue notices this and speaks up, "Alright, Mikey, give her kitten back. You've had it long enough."

"Aaww… Alright." He smiles and gently pats Tullius on the head. "Well it was good knowing ya little guy." Tullius replies by brushing his head against the palm of his hand, and I must not be seeing clearly because this guy seems to only have three fingers.

The turtle-guy thing looks to me again and grins slightly before slowly making his way over to me. I gulp and feel my hands start to shake. The closer he got, the more realistic his costume looked.

"Sorry." He stops in front of me and holds out my kitten, a sheepish smile on his face.

_'Ok, now I must be hallucinating because that looked like a real, genuine smile. How is the face of his costume moving so darn realistically?' _

"U-um, it's okay. Thanks." I stammer.

I go in to hurriedly grab my kitten, but just as I'm about to take him back a pink beam zips between us! The turtle jumps back with my kitten and lets out a girly scream. I let out a high pitched 'Eek!' and almost jump out of my skin.

"Crud! It's the Kraang!"

I look to see human-like robots jumping up onto the roof top. The high-tech guns they hold in their hands shoot out pink beams all over the place, leaving holes in anything they hit. Their skin is blue and see through, showing their metallic but simple skeleton. Their round, mechanic eyes are cold and lifeless as they stare at their target. I gape in terror as pink, blob creatures with sharp eyes and pointy teeth sit in their stomachs.

"W-w-what-" I lift a trembling finger to point at them, my brain and nerves almost paralyzed with fear. Now, after all that has happened, I ultimately release a bloodcurdling scream.

The turtles jump into action, pulling out all kinds of different weapons. One pulls out two katana swords, and another pulls out two sai. My eyes stay glued to them until I come to my senses and run for cover; I found and hid behind some sort of large pipe sticking up out of the roof. Here I crouch and watch, stunned, as all the turtles beat away at the robots. They move quick and precise, delivering hard blows to the robots with ease. Their moves look so fluid and… ninja like.

In all this commotion and trying to get over my nerves, I happen to spot Tullius that had also hidden behind a pipe. I take a deep breath and burst into a sprint after him, hoping and praying that the beams wouldn't hit either of us. Fortunately for me, and I guess for those turtle guys too, there weren't that many robots to begin with. Before I had even reached Tullius they were finishing up on the last few.

"Cowabunga!" The orange banded turtle knocks down the last robot with a finishing whip of nunchucks to its face.

The other three look at him with puzzled expressions, all at the same time repeating, "'Cowabunga'?"

"Yeah! Catchy, right?"

"No." The red clad turtle responds bluntly.

"C'mon guys. We should get out of here."

"But, Leo," The orange masked turtle looks my way. "What about her?"

Purple clad brows furrow slightly. "She'll be alright, Mikey. Plus she found her kitten after someone rudely kept it to himself."

"Whaaat? He looked lost and lonely!"

"It doesn't matter anymore, guys. We should leave now before more Kraang show up." The blue masked turtle jogs over to the edge of the building and cautiously looks over the side. When he doesn't see any Kraang, he motions for the others. The three follow his lead down the fire escapes into a dark alley.

"I'm so glad I found you!" I bend over to pick Tullius up, elated at finally having the chance to hold him again. "I'll make sure to-" He jumps away from my hands and races off. Baffled, I stare at him for a split second before groaning, "Tullius! What is wrong with you?!" I race after him as fast as my legs could go, my scraped knees giving me a hard time. "I'm really beginning to think you don't like me! At all!" Tullius reaches the fire escapes and swiftly maneuvers down them towards the ground, while I practically stumble down them. "Owie, ow, ow, ow." I repeat under my breath.

If I place my footing wrong, I'm done for. I'd have much worse injuries than just scraped knees.

"Mikey! Stop foolin' around and get over here!"

"Okay, okay! One sec, Raph."

The turtle with nunchucks does a back flip off the last platform and sticks the landing with a victorious grin. The other turtles roll their eyes and head for the closet manhole. Just then, my trouble maker of a cat makes it to the ground and runs after them. I soon drop down to the ground with a grunt, my knees starting to hurt worse. I try to avoid thinking about the pain and look to see the group of turtles going into a manhole. My eyes open wide in horror.

"H-hey! Wait!" I sprint again. "My cat! He's following you!"

My cat reaches the manhole and pauses for a second, giving me enough time to grab-!

Tullius jumps down the manhole, just a few seconds away from being in my grasp. I didn't have time to react to him getting away this time, because then I realized, I had just made a _huge _mistake.

I scream a blood-chilling scream and close my eyes tight. My hands desperately claw at the air for something, anything, to keep me from falling; The only thing my fingers could find, was the emptiness of the air around me. I fall head first into the manhole as my feet hit concrete, sending a bone, shattering pain through them. My heart leaps into my throat and I wait for my body to feel the cold floor of the sewer below. My mind then turns into a blank sheet of nothing, as if protecting me from thoughts of what was about to happen.

Unknowingly to me, someone in the sewer catches sight of my falling body and runs towards me with open arms.

"Aaaand I gotcha! Whew. Cutting it close there, huh? …Hey. Hello…? Earth to red!" He pokes my pale cheek, referring to my auburn hair.

"Geez, Raphael, don't yell at her. She may be in shock. Give her some time to come around."

"Yeah, dude, she just about fell to her death."

"That isn't something you joke about, Mikey."

"I wasn't joking, Leo! You know I'm not like hot head over here."

"Shut your trap, Mikey."

I barley open my eyes, my ears picking up familiar voices all around me.

'_My family? What are we doing on the street? No. I… I fell? Where is Tullius? My heart is beating so fast… I'm scared.' _

My thoughts are a confusing, jumble of mess, so I randomly pick one to focus on and whisper, "M-mommy?"

"Aaw! She must think you're her mommy, Raphie. Hee-hee."

"Mikey! You-!"

"Raph! Remember _you're_ the one holding her! Be careful!"

"So! That doesn't mean I can't teach Mikey a lesson at the same time! …And I ain't no mommy."

"Ha-ha!"

_'Wait, that doesn't sound like Mom. .'_

I fully open my eyes now; My vision clears up to reveal a familiar, red masked turtle staring down at me, and with an irritated expression plastered to his face too. Sour expression aside, I gaze up at him in utter awe, my whole body beginning to tremble from the nerve wrecking fall. A wave of relief also washes over me and I start to smile, my thought's finally sorting themselves out.

_'Even though I wish it had been my Mom that I had heard, he caught me. I didn't hit the ground. I'm. . I'm okay!'_

Tears sting the corners of my green eyes, and I choke out a soft, "Thank you."

The turtle's expression changes into astonishment for a moment, but he shakes his head and puts me down.

"Are you okay?" The orange banded turtle studies my face with a worried frown, the other two turtles standing next to him.

I grin and wipe at my eyes, my legs wobbling like jelly. "Um, I'm okay." That's when I feel my feet and toes start to throb in pain; They had hit the side of the manhole as I fell. I peer down at them, afraid that the slightest move would send a jolt of pain through them.

_'What if I broke one of my toes? I can't get out of here like this. .'_

I raise my head with a quiet sigh to see all four of the turtles staring at me. "…So…" I shyly fiddle with my fingers. "Who exactly are you guys? I mean, are those costumes? If not, then, well, you all possibly can't be. ." I struggle to find the right words to say; I'm not that great at socializing with people I've just met, or in this case, I'm even worse at talking with turtles I've just met.

"Well, I'm Leonardo," He starts and points to the other turtles as he introduces them, "and these are my brothers Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. But you can just call us Leo, Donny, Raph, and-"

"Mikey!" Michelangelo interrupts proudly.

Raph smirks. "Actually, you can just call Mikey 'goob', 'cause that's what he is."

Mikey narrows his eyes at him and sticks out his tongue. I can't help but grin at this; Maybe these guys aren't so strange after all… Just maybe.

"And I think we should leave the telling of what we are to our father." Leo smiles thoughtfully. "He really explains it the best."

_'Uh-oh, I wonder if their Dad dresses up as a turtle too?'_

"Yeah, just follow us." Donatello gives me a friendly grin before turning with his brothers.

I stare at the back of their seemingly realistic shells as they walk off into the dark, smelly tunnel, my heart almost beating out of my chest. Honestly, this whole situation is really starting to scare me. I just can't wrap my brain around all that had happened. I mean, what are they doing in a sewer? Why are they dressed like that? Why were there robots? Does this have something to do with the government? Or did I just accidentally walk onto the set of a movie scene?

More and more questions painfully swirl around in my head, the last one being, '_Should I follow them?'_ as they all stop to turn and look at me.

"Um, what is your name?" Leonardo questions.

I reply slowly, "…Grace."

"Well, Grace," He grins gently, my eyes showing conflicting emotions. "I know none of what has happened tonight makes any sense, so… If you want to leave, you can. We won't hold you back or anything like that."

I think about what he just said for what seemed like a good while, but eventually I smile sheepishly. "Even if I wanted to leave I couldn't." I wince in pain when I try to wiggle my toes, the feeling almost bringing me to my knees. "I hurt my feet pretty bad on the way down here." After the feeling of that much pain, I decided that I'd just have to trust these guys for now. Surely everything will be okay, I hope.

The four brothers walk back to me, a concerned look on Donatello's face. "Do you remember what happened to them as you fell?"

"I believe they hit the side of the manhole."

"Ooo! Ouch! That must've hurt." Mikey grimaces. Raphael elbows him hard in his plastron, making him grunt.

"Did that hurt, Mikey?"

"…Meanie."

Donatello rolls his eyes at them and turns his attention back to me. "I can check your feet for injuries at our lai- I mean home, if you want." Donny corrects himself, thinking 'lair' would worry me even more.

"Uh, okay. Thanks." I smile then feel myself being swiftly lifted up off the ground. "Whoa!"

"I'll take you there!" Mikey smiles brightly and heads for their home with me in his arms. Leo tells him to chill out and to be more careful with me, while I feel myself grow embarrassed; the first guy to hold me is a turtle, and the first guy to carry me is a turtle. . Or just guys in extremely realistic costumes? I still don't know the answer to that yet.  
After stopping for one of the brothers to pull down on a pipe, a wall lifts to reveal an old, abandoned subway station.

_'...What just happened? How did-? The wall just- Up like that?'_

Mikey sees my bewildered expression, and leaning his head towards Leo, he whispers, "She's totally scared and confused out of her mind, man. Should we really bring her in here?"

"I know but we can't just let her walk off if she has broken bones. It's our fault she's like this; We should've been more careful and stayed towards the shadows." He whispers back.

Michelangelo nods his head. "Yeah, I guess… I guess this whole thing is my fault." He frowns, sadly hanging his head. "Sorry Leo."

"It's alright Mikey; it's not just your fault." Leo gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up over it… Ha, what am I saying? Of course you won't."

Mikey rolls his bright blue eyes. "Haa-haa, veeery funny. Seriously though, I didn't mean to cause _this _much trouble."

Leonardo chuckles. "I know Mike don't worry. I believe you."

I heard the last part of their conversation as they walked into the station, the regretful tone of their voices slowly beginning to change my thoughts about them, and for the better.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter! Please review and leave some constructive criticism. I would greatly appreciate it. C:**

**-KadynG**


	2. An Unlikely Team

**A/N: Hello! (: A _huuge_ thank you to those who reviewed and followed and all that great stuff! I really appreciate it and love your feedback!**

* * *

After the magical, stone wall lifted with only a pull of a pipe, we made our way into the large subway station. Even though the station was quite interesting to see, what with its massive layout, high ceiling and strange graffiti, I was still dumbfounded over that wall. I look over Michelangelo's shoulder to see it closing shut surprisingly fast. I softly furrow my brow, trying to understand it, and then mumble to myself, "Is that wall _really_ made of stone? Or something lighter? Is it using a pulley system? Gears? Maybe both?"

Mikey's ears picked up my mumbled questions, and fittingly to the situation, he throws a look over at Donny. The purple clad turtle walking next to me knowingly responds with a light shrug of his shoulders, his brown eyes showing that he was just as surprised at my questions as he was.

I finally let the mystery of the wall go and studied the curved walls of the dimly lit tunnel we had just entered. Its walls are cracked and falling apart and there is an old, musky odor in the air. I don't mind this smell though, it reminds me of an antique shop and the excitement of finding that one special item that stood out from the rest. It would make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and it sent your imagination on a whirl-wind.

I blink slowly at the ceiling of the tunnel, finding myself more comfortable in Mikey's arms. Adrenaline isn't pumping through my veins any longer, and I've become calmer. However, there is a downside to this. I can now feel how cold it really is down here and feel the full extent of the pain in my feet and bloody scrapes. I shiver from the cold and my teeth start to chatter, the throbbing in my feet wiping a pained expression across my face. I whimper quietly and cross my arms close to my body, hoping I could trap some heat; I'm wearing high waist skinny jeans but my short sleeved peplum top isn't very warm.

The orange masked ninja hears my whimper and frowns at first, but grins and says reassuringly, "You'll be okay, Grace. We'll get ya warmed up and Donny'll fix those scrapes in no time."

I give him a light smile and reply through chattering teeth, "Th-thank you," my voice grows softer and a little shy. "For carrying me."

"Aw, it's no problem." Mikey beams. "And you're very welcome!" He looks ahead again, a wide grin never leaving his face.

Raphael rolls his eyes at him for the third time today. "Always the one to carry the girls," he mumbles.

I start to secretly peek up at Mikey from time to time, admiring his optimistic and happy personality. His grin is also very contagious and hard not to look at, which, in my opinion, sets him as a pretty good guy in my book. I don't think his brothers are bad or anything, but they all seem to have very distinct personalities from what I've seen. It just makes me want to… Figure all of them out and get inside their head.

'_Whoa...' _I shake my head._ 'What am I thinking? Wanting to figure them out...'_

I non-secretively look at Mikey and ask, "Are you sure I d-didn't hit my head?"

Mikey looked muddled for a second before laughing, and then replied, "We're sure. If you had hit your head, you wouldn't be talkin' to me right now!"

"O-oh, true." I look down at my hands, a little embarrassed at how dumb my question sounded, but I still couldn't help wondering why I had thought something so unusual.

Soon I'm bathed in light as Mikey steps out of the tunnel. I look around the well-lit room; its ceiling is higher than the first one I saw and its layout is just as big. What really catches my eye, however, is the couch sitting in front of the TV, the arcade games and what seemed to be a couple of practice dummies just lying around.

'…_Now how did they get all this stuff down here..?'_

The four brothers grin at my wide-eyed expression, knowing that this was quite a sight to take in for a human.

"Welcome to our home, Grace!" Mikey exclaims happily.

"…Wow," was all I managed to say.

"Ah, my sons," a strong but gentle voice announces.

I look to see where that voice had come from to spot a giant rat walking towards us on two legs, wearing a long type of robe and holding a jade, green cane in one hand. My eyes grow wide again at the creature and I grab onto Mikey, my heart about to beat out of my rib cage once again.

The orange clad turtle chuckles. "It's alright Grace. This is our father, Master Splinter."

"F-Father?" I shiver and rest my head on Michelangelo's shoulder, halfway hiding my face in his neck as their father came closer; I _really_ don't like rats, especially ones that are a lot taller and bigger than me.

"Who is this?" He stops in front of us and looks to me, then looks straight at Mikey with narrowed brows. "Michelangelo?"

"Ha! I knew Masta Splinter would know whose fault it was right off the bat." The red masked brother grins with satisfaction.

"Hey!" Mikey shoots him a glare.

"Not necessarily, Raphael, and would someone please explain?" Master Splinter looks at all of them now.

"We were on a rooftop when Mikey saw a cat, so I let him stop to pet it. I know I shouldn't have, but then we saw Grace." Leonardo motions to me. "I think she was looking for her cat, which was the cat Mikey had found. But then Kraang started attacking us out of nowhere, and we defeated those pretty quickly."

"I see, but what I don't understand is why she is down here."

"Well, just before Raph could close the manhole cover, her cat jumped down onto his face."

The three brothers snicker, except for Raphael who just grumbles something under his breath. I quietly apologize to him for my cat, which just earns me a blank look from him.

The blue banded ninja continues. "So Raph got angry and was about to chase the cat, until he saw Grace." He frowns in thought. "I can assume that she was chasing her cat and just accidentally fell down the manhole, but Raph caught her. And we brought her down here because she injured her feet when she fell."

On that note, Mikey carry's me over to the couch and carefully sits me down on it.

"Alright then." Splinter nods then looks to Donny. "And I trust you're going to check for injuries?"

"I'm on it Master Splinter!" Donny retrieves a duffel bag and sits it next the couch, then after unzipping it open he pulls out a first aid kit.

Michelangelo grins down at me and says, "I'll go and grab a blanket, be right back!" He hurries off somewhere then shortly returns with a blanket. He drapes the soft fabric over my trembling shoulders, grinning to himself when a happy grin spreads across my face; finally being warm made me feel a lot better.

"Now then, Grace." The purple banded ninja opens his first aid kit next to my feet. "I'm going to take your shoes and socks off, so it's going to hurt for a little while, okay?"

I nod my head lightly and watch him untie my shoes. He does this without moving my feet, but now it's time for my shoes to be taken off. I take in a deep breath and hold it, his hand slowly and carefully beginning to slide the first shoe off my right foot. I bite down on my bottom lip, trying to hold back a whimper as a sharp pain runs through my toes. I lastly grip onto the couch, then finally let air out of my lungs when he slips it off.

Mikey peers down at my sock with a smile. "Ooo, yummy! Your sock has little cupcakes on it!" His smile then disappears as quickly as it had appeared. "Now I'm hungry."

Leonardo and Raphael join their brothers around me, the red clad turtle shaking his head. "Count on Mikey to get hungry over a sock."

"I'm not hungry over the sock! Just the cupcakes on the sock, dummy."

"You're the dummy ya nitwit."

Leonard holds back a laugh.

An irritated growl bubbles in Mikey's throat and he shouts, "Oh yeah?! Well-!"

"Cut it out, guys!" Donny sighs, "And can you all back up a bit? You're making Grace nervous."

The three standing brothers look down at me, my eyes wide and timidly watching them. They grin sheepishly and back off a little. I pull the blanket tighter around me and relax again; I have to admit, they can be intimidating. They have those large, muscular arms and legs, and they bicker at each other with their weapons just casually resting on the back of their shells or in the belts around their waist. Yikes.

"Thank you." Donatello turns back to me and slips my other shoe off, then moves on to remove my cupcake socks. He slowly peels off the first sock, deeply furrowing his brows when he sees my bare foot; he could tell that I had a great deal of swelling and deep bruising.

Mikey nudges Leo with his elbow. "Look at how long and narrow her feet are," he says in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if she had a broken toe."

"Uh.. I meant she kind of has pretty feet."

"They're definitely prettier than yours." Raph grins smugly.

"Well, Raph, our feet look almost exactly the same. So what does that tell you?" Mikey replies with a sharp grin.

"That they're almost exactly the same."

Mikey narrows his brows and looks away with a huff.

Donny places the heel of my foot in the palm of his hand. "Okay, can you please try and move your toes for me?"

I nod my head, even though he couldn't see it, and slowly move my toes. "..O-ow," I breathe in sharply, trying not to act like a cry baby in front of the four brothers.

"Good! Nothing is broken on this foot." He carefully switches the foot with my left one. "Now try and move your toes again."

I wiggle my toes once more, quickly blinking away tears that began to well up in my eyes.

"Great! You don't have any broke bones, just a lot of swelling and deep bruising."

I let out a sigh of relief with a smile, extremely happy not to have any broken toes. If I had broken one, I don't know what I would have told my Mom and Dad. Well, I guess I could've told them I stubbed it on my dresser or something… But it would still sound fishy since the rest of my toes would be swollen.

"Let's see.." Donny stands and scratches his head in thought. "You'll need two ice packs to help the swelling, and you need to keep your feet elevated. Oh, and you'll need to keep off of them for a little while. And, if I remember correctly, you don't go to school on Saturday's and Sunday's, right?"

"Right." I nod.

"Good. That's enough time for your feet to heal properly." He gives me the same friendly grin he gave me when I first saw him. "I'll go and get some ice packs." He walks away, to the kitchen I'm assuming, leaving me with his three brothers.

Mikey grabs my hands and playfully swings them from side to side. "This is totally radical, dude! Your feet aren't broken!"

I laugh at his choice of words and swing them also, "Yeah!"

Out of nowhere, the thought of Tullius suddenly pops into my head. I stop laughing and swinging my arms, a worried frown replacing my once happy smile.

Mikey notices and stops also, slowly letting go of my hands. "What's wrong, Grace?"

"My cat.." I slump my shoulders in disbelief. "I can't believe I forgot about Tullius!"

"I can believe it." Leo says, almost apologetically. "You've been through a lot and it's been a very confusing night for you, I'm sure."

"Yeah.." I agree quietly.

Just then, Donny returns with two ice packs and hands them to Mikey. "Can you hold these for a second?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, I almost- ..." Donatello furrows his brows and stares as his brother juggles the ice packs.

Mikey smiles and asks innocently, "What?"

Don swiftly snatches them out of the air and tosses them to Leo. "Can't even trust Mikey with bags of ice."

"Well, fine! Rain on my party." The orange masked turtle looks away with an annoyed frown, but soon grins and runs to jump in front of the TV. "I almost forgot about the horror movie marathon!" He clicks on the TV and plops down on the floor.

"Ugh, just watching him makes me feel bipolar." Raphael massages his temples.

Donny turns back to me with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Grace. I nearly forgot about your scrapes." He opens his first aid kit and pulls out some Band-Aids with a tube of medicine.

"It's okay." I reply softly with a small grin.

He grins back and sits down in front of me. "Want to try rolling up your pant-legs?"

"Oh, yeah."

It was a little difficult, but I manage to roll my pant-legs above my knees to reveal large, bloody scrapes.

"Ouch." Leo eyes my knees.

I grin weakly and watch Don clean up the scrapes, a serious and focused expression on his face; he seems like the type to take minor things more seriously than others would.

"Man, I wish Mikey was as quiet as you." the tallest of the four stands next to Donny and crosses his arms. "He would be complainin' and whinin' if he was in your position."

"What was that, Raphie?"

"Nothin' Mikey. Just watch your movies." Raphael looks back to me, watches me open my mouth to say something, and then raises his brow when I slowly close it back and look down awkwardly. "…Okay, or maybe be as shy as you... Either one." He whispers to himself.

"My sons." Master Splinter walks into the room. "One of you should go and look for Grace's cat. I'm sure she wants to know if he is okay and well."

I open my mouth to object, but my soft voice is drowned out by Mikey's excited one.

"I'll go!" He jumps up and turns off the TV.

"Alright, Michelangelo." Splinter nods in agreement.

Donny finishes up with my knees and stands. "There you go. All fixed up!"

"Thank you so much, Donny." I smile bashfully, thinking maybe I should have used his full name, but that was the first one that popped into my head.

"You're welcome. Now let's get your feet elevated and those ice packs put on them."

"While you do that, Donatello," Master Splinter stands next to the couch, green cane in hand. "I'll tell Grace our little story. I'm sure she is wondering how we all came to be this way."

I nod, replying a bit nervously, "I am, actually."

Mikey returns to the family area with a small, plastic bag, and asks eagerly, "Anyone want to head out with me?"

"It would be best if two gone, wouldn't it?" Splinter turns to Leo and Raph. "Leonardo, Raphael, one of you please go with your brother."

Leo and Raph exchange looks as if this was a matter of life or death.

"You go with him, Leo." Raphael practically orders.

"Uh, I have tooo-" when he remembers the ice packs in his hands, a relieved grin spreads across his face. "Help Donny with Grace!" He quickly spins around and walks over to the couch.

Raphael growls deep in his chest, knowing he couldn't get out of this one, and now has to go look for a stupid cat with his knucklehead of a brother.

"Whoo!" Mikey jumps in front of his brother, and arching his back, holds his hands high in the air. "The two best turtles on the job! High threee!" He keeps his free hand in the air, excitement radiating off of him.

Raphael ignores him and brushes past him. "Let's get this over with."

Michelangelo follows close behind his hot headed brother, and for a moment, I could've sworn I saw a somber look mixed with confusion on his face. If the look _was_ there, it had already disappeared.

I lightly scrunch my brows together, wondering why Raphael didn't want to go with his brother so badly. I look to Donny for an answer. "Um, Donatello?"

"Yes?" He sits on the floor in front of the couch, getting comfortable for Master Splinter's story; the story of how they became Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He had heard the story many times before, but he could never get tired of it.

"Why... Why was Raphael so angry when he left? I'm sorry for being nosy."

"No, it's alright. I don't blame you for wondering, especially when it shows as clearly as it does."

"What do you mean by, 'it'?"

He thinks for a bit, choosing his words carefully, "By it, I mean their relationship. You see, Mikey and Raph don't always get along too well. They both have quite different personalities, which I'm sure you've noticed already. And since Raph is more... Head strong, Mikey can very easily get on his nerves. So it's unlikely for us to pair them together alone."

"Really? Who is usually paired together?"

"Me with Mikey, and Leo with Raph."

"Oh... And I think I can see how that would work."

"Ha, yeah, but I'm not saying they dislike each other. They're far from that. And, he won't admit it, but Raph worries over Mikey the most and always watches his back."

* * *

"Oh Tulliuuus! Come on out, buddy!" The orange clad turtle scampers around the inside of a sewer tunnel, while his brother searches in a tunnel across from him. Even though they've searched in these tunnels for a good while now, they still haven't managed to scrounge up any clue on where the pet could be. If it takes all night to find that cat, that's fine with Mikey, because he isn't returning home empty handed. He has a feeling though that Raph could care less, so I guess that means he'd have to search alone.

"Come on out ya little trouble maker." Raphael scans a tunnel with a flashlight, not spotting hide or hair of the little fur ball. "Geez, where the shell is he?" He checks the tunnel a second time, just to be sure, but he wasn't there. A deep sigh escapes him and he leaves the tunnel, angrily jumping over a large puddle at the end of it; he's beginning to get _real_ tired of this _real_ quick.

"AAAHH!" Mikey's scream suddenly echoes through the sewer.

A chill runs up Raphael's spine at the sound and he shouts, "Mikey!?" He races over to the tunnel he left his brother in. "Mikey! Mikey what's wrong!?"

"AAAHH! RAAAPH!" The orange masked ninja yells back, his voice sounding closer than before.

"I'm here Mikey! I'm comin'!" The red banded turtle darts into the tunnel, wildly swinging his flashlight around. "Mikey!?"

"RAPH!" Mikey abruptly runs into view, his face stricken with horror.

"Mikey what's wrong!?" Raph dashes up to him, but instead of stopping, Mikey grabs his hand and pulls him into a run along with him. "Hey! Why are we running!? Tell me what's going on!"

"_THAT'S_ what's going on!" His brother throws a thumb over his shoulder.

Raphael glances back to see a large, beastly crocodile galloping after them. "What tha _SHELL_!? When could crocodiles gallop!?"

"I don't know but it can't be normal!"

The two brothers run as fast as their legs can go, their reptilian friend not slowing down a bit. The tunnel ends and Mikey jerks left, trying to think of how they could lose the creature. They both left their weapons back at the lair, thinking this would just be a safe hunt for a cat, so they can't fight it.

Mikey clenches his teeth and tries to form a plan, the sound of his heart beating hard in his ears making it difficult. "Thiiink! Think!" He bolts right this time, almost losing his footing, but regains his balance and keeps on running. The bag hanging from around his wrist hits against his leg and makes an idea finally rush into his head. "I got it!" Mikey lets the handle of the bag slide down from his wrist and onto the tips of his fingers, and then he holds it out behind him to his brother. "Raph! Shake the stuff out of this behind you!"

Without question, Raphael grabs the bag and shakes the contents out onto the ground behind him as they run. The smell of many pizza slices from a meat lover's pizza soon fills the air. The crocodile stops dead in its tracks to hungrily gobble up the pizza, letting the two brothers safely dart away into a nearby tunnel. Out of harms reach, they still continue to run, making sure to put plenty of distance between them and the galloping reptile. When they know for sure that they've lost it, they both come to a stop and fall back against a wall, panting heavily.

"Shell..." Raph pants, his legs wobbling beneath him. "I am NEVER going to leave home without my weapons ever again, even to search for a cat."

"Meee," Mikey huffs then gulps a bunch of air into his burning lungs. "Too."

"I'm glad you brought that pizza though, or else he'd be chewin' on our shells right now... And why did you bring that pizza?"

"Heh, well, it was going to be a snack."

"You call that many slices of pizza a snack?"

"I was going to use it if we couldn't find Tullius, too! If he didn't come to us, maybe he would come to the pizza."

"Psh. I'm surprised you didn't eat all of it an hour into our search."

They both stand in silence for a minute, trying to catch their breath, until Raphael speaks up, "You can let go of my hand."

"Oh, sorry dude." Mikey drops his brother's hand and straightens up. "Well, I still need to find Tullius. You can head back to the lair if you want to."

"No way, bro." Raph pushes away from the wall and puts a firm hand on Mikey's shoulder. "I'm not leaving you down here by yourself with that _thing_ runnin' around."

A bright smile spreads across his younger brother's face, his powder blue eyes brightening. "Really?"

"Of course I will, ya knucklehead."

They both chuckle, a small, furry animal almost going unnoticed. Mikey spots it first, a reddish, orange blur out of the corner of his eye. He whips around to see Tullius only a foot away from him.

The hot headed turtle narrows his eyes at the cat. "_You_."

The orange clad turtle gets on one knee and holds out his hands, "Here, kitty! Mikey'll take you back to Grace."

Tullius just stares at him with large, green eyes, his white, striped tail flicking back and forth. Mikey frowns, knowing that if he went to pick him up, he may run away.

He tries again, slowly inching forward on his feet. "C'mon, Tullius, you know me! I'm Mikey! The cool and chill turtle."

"Really? That's how you describe yourself? That's freakin' funny," Raph laughs.

Mikey whips his head around to look over his shoulder. "Shush, Raph! I almost have him!" He looks forward again and gets close enough to slowly hold out his hand towards Tullius. The cat hesitantly sniffs the masked turtle's hand, and when his nose picks up a yummy smell, he licks his finger. Michelangelo sees this as a chance and picks up the cat, a wide grin spreading across his sea green face. "I knew the pizza would work."

"I have to admit, Mikey, you did well."

"Thanks, Raph." He turns to his older brother to see him raising his hand in the air, a rare and gentle grin on his face.

"High three?"

Mikey beams and leaps at Raphael, purposely missing his brother's hand to give him a shell crushing hug. "Raphiiiee!" He says happily, lifting the red masked turtle off the ground.

"Yeah, yeah, I love ya too, Mikey. Now put me down!"

Mikey does as he's told and places him back on his feet, a broad smile plastered to his face.

"Hey… Hey where'd the little fur ball go!?" Raph snarls, "When I find him I'm gonna-"

"Chiiill, Raph!" Mikey turns to his side and points to Tullius, who is hanging onto his carapace. "He grabbed shell when I jumped at you."

Raph sighs with relief while shaking his head. "I swear, Michelangelo, you are one crazy turtle." He smirks. "Bet I could beat you home."

"Ha! Yeah right!" Mikey grabs Tullius from his back and races off down the tunnel. "See ya at home, slow poke!"

* * *

**A/N: I didn't realize how long this chapter had gotten until I looked at the word count, haha. But I hope you all enjoyed it! And yup, I made Raph a bit taller than the rest. :P Couldn't help myself. I also hope that this chapter was a little more well written than the first. I want to improve as much as I can for you guys! **

**-KadynG**


	3. Melt Down

**A/N: Hey! I'm sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I've been busy with school. ): And again, thank you so, so much for the reviews and favorites and all that amazing stuff! I really appreciate it! Enjoy!** **:)**

* * *

I stare blankly at Master Splinter, my brain spinning at his mind blowing story. "You're... You're all... _Mutants?_" My voice cracks on the last word.

"Yes. It's hard to believe, but it's true." Splinter strokes his long, thin beard. "Many do not know of us, and it is best if it stays that way- Can you keep our secret hidden from the outside world?" His eyes bore deep into mine, as if he was searching for something.

I grow extremely nervous, my voice getting caught in my throat, "I.."

"Master Splinter," Donnie comes to my rescue and comfortingly gives my shoulder a light pat, "I'm sure Grace won't tell anyone."

"I know, Donatello." He grins and looks away, letting me finally blink. "I can tell."

My expression grows cloudy as I start to feel home sick, and a queasy feeling starts to form in my stomach.

'_This is all so strange..' _

I don't know what to think about any of this. Are they _actually_ mutants? Or turtles? Is this 'Master Splinter' really half rat half human? Maybe this is just some sick trick they're playing, but what about those robots? Are they part of the act too? Why are they doing this? Why-

"Mikey's baa-aack!" The orange clad ninja strides in with a cocky smile, his arms held high above his head. "And before Raph! Heh-heh."

"Ah, welcome home Michelangelo." His father greets.

"I would've won if you didn't have unlimited freakin' energy." Raphael walks in behind him, grumpily dragging his feet.

Splinter grins weakly. "And Raphael."

"Hey, guys. Did you find Grace's cat?"

"Actually, Donnie, we did!" Mikey turns his back to us and looks over his shoulder. "Ta-daa!"

I smile widely, thrilled at the sight of Tullius resting at the top of Mikey's shell. "Tullius!" I almost hop off the couch but Don stands and stops me with a chuckle.

"You have to keep off your feet, remember?"

"Oh, right! Sorry."

Splinter grins. "Well done, my sons. Now, I'm going to go and retire to my room, so please behave around our guest."

"Yes sensei!" They answer in chorus.

At that, Master Splinter nods and departs to his room.

Mikey then walks over to the couch and hands Tullius to me, a proud grin on his face. "Here ya go! Safe and sound."

I gladly take him into my arms with a tight hug- It's so nice to see something familiar and.. Normal. I put this and my other discouraging thoughts aside with a smile. "Thanks, Mikey!" I lean to my right to look behind him. "You too, Raph. Thank you."

"No problem." Raphael leaves his spot near the tunnel and makes his way over to us. "And Donnie? I have a question for you."

"Yeah? And what would that be?"

"I wanna know when crocodiles started galloping! Mikey and I barely escaped one that was trying to make us its dinner!"

"Well, there are several species of crocodile that can gallop, Raph. They always have. These species usually gallop over rough terrain, and at great speeds, too, I might add."

"Yeah, I noticed." Raph huffs.

"But you're saying it actually chased you two? That's weird… And how big was this reptile?"

"It was pretty big!" Mikey exclaims.

"H'm… It must've been starving to just chase you like that."

"It can't be starving anymore if it was." Mikey pouts, hanging his head. "He ate all the left over pizza…"

As if my stomach heard the word 'pizza', it growls loudly, begging for food. I let go of Tullius and grab at my stomach, my eyes wide with embarrassment.

Michelangelo laughs and bends down to my level, a large grin spreading across his face. "Want me to fix ya something to eat? Give me the name and I'll make it."

A little startled at how close his face came to mine I quickly nod my head. "U-Uh… S-.. Sandwich?"

He quickly straightens up. "Phfft...!" He covers his mouth, but ends up laughing out loud again.

I stare at him blankly, wondering what was so funny. Unless.. Unless I'm being so awkward it's hilarious to him.. The palm of my hand lightly smacks my face, my cheeks growing red.

Raph growls and pops his brother on the back of his head.

"Hey!" The orange clad turtle rubs the now burning sensation on his head.

"Geez Louise, Mikey! What's your deal?" He replies irritably, "You on laughing gas or somethin'?"

"What? I just thought she was being funny."

_'Oh, God.. I was right.' _

"She obviously wasn't playing around with you, Mikey." Donnie whispers, nodding towards me.

Mikey glances over at me and instantly his grin turns upside down into frown; my face is in my hands and my ears are crimson with embarrassment, and to make things worse my stomach growls loudly again. I cringe.

_'I shouldn't have skipped dinner to look for Tullius! If I had just stayed and eaten I wouldn't even be down here in this stinky sewer with my feet injured and hungry and-!'_

Tears well up in my eyes and threaten to roll down my cheeks. I blink hard to hold them back; I'm not going to cry in front of strangers, no matter how bad this situation gets.

"Grace?"

Someone lightly pokes the back of my hand. I blink once more then reluctantly remove my hands, and Mikey's regretful expression comes into view. Instead of up and close to my face with a smile, he gazes down at me with a gloomy frown.

"..Mikey?" I say, eventually breaking the somber silence.

"..I'm sorry." He says quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't seem to notice how others are feeling sometimes.. I shouldn't be making you feel upset or embarrassed, I should be more.. Careful, with you. I mean, for me and my brothers a first impression is really important when we get a rare meeting with someone like you. Plus, since we're four mutant turtles, a good impression isn't easy." He chuckles almost sadly. "When you didn't run away in fear at seeing us, but instead stayed and stared at us with surprise and curiosity, for once I felt like I had a small chance in your world."

The room fell silent. Mikey's brothers were confounded at such words coming from him, and my mind went into deep thought over it. He really did sound whole-hearted and sincere, and I can't help but feel sorry for all four of them.

"..It's okay, Mikey." I begin gently. "I'm sorry too.. And I understand. I too should be careful with you and your brothers, because you're all still.. Living and feeling organisms, like me."

The four brothers gaze at me with hollow expressions, not having expected me to answer that way.

_'Their reactions... They have to be telling the truth, right?' _

The first to react is Michelangelo; he beams tearfully and hurries to give me a hug.

"Thanks Grace." He wraps his muscular arms around me. "I knew you would understand."

I sit there for a moment, not knowing what to do, but eventually I hesitantly lift my arms to hug him lightly. I awkwardly give him a pat on the of back his shell, too, thinking,_ 'His skin, his shell.. They feel so.. __**Real**__.' _

"Okay, Mikey, let go of her." Leo grabs at Mikey's shoulders, pulling him away.

"Sorry, Grace is just so-" He sniffles and wipes a tear that had slipped. "Awesome!"

Donnie gives me an apologetic grin. "Sorry, he can be really sensitive sometimes."

Before I could reply Raphael steps in front of me. I jump with a quiet gasp at his expression; his face is twisted with doubt and disbelief, his bright, green eyes studying my darker, green ones. I go speechless, feeling as if I'm shrinking underneath his harshening gaze.

"You mean that?" He bends over, bringing his face close to mine. "Do ya? Because I _really_ don't appreciate someone playing around with my brother's mind and feelings!"

My eyes timidly dart around his cold expression, trying not to get sucked into his scathing ones. His voice drips with anger and he tightly clenches his teeth together, close to growling at me.

I stare back at him in a daze, thinking_, 'Wha- Does he think I'm... Being fake or something? Or lying?' _

"Raph," Leo says stolidly. "Cut it out._ Now_." He demands, stepping towards him.

"No! Not until she answers me!" The red clad ninja growls in reply, his eyes filling with rage.

"I-I'm.." I don't feel the tears that start to brim in my eyes as I pitifully try to answer. My throat grows painfully tight, and my eyes are brutally caught in his fiery ones. Why is he so _angry_ all of a sudden?

"Spit. It. Out." He snarls, his frustration building incrementally. "Quit being so quiet and say _something_!"

"Raphael!" Leonardo shouts angrily.

I can't take it anymore. My lungs are aching for air and my tears are finally running free. I tightly close my eyes, roughly balling my fists in front of me, and yell at the top of my lungs, "I did mean it! I did! I don't want to mess with your brother's mind or feelings! I just want to understand!" My voice cracks into a cry, "Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry-" I clumsily move away from him, wanting to just curl into a ball and be invisible. "I'm sorry." I repeat unconsciously, tears still streaming down my face.

Michelangelo watches me with his mouth hanging open, his face shock stricken as I struggle to get off the couch in fear. The sight made him want to tear up again, even though only a second ago he was feeling so happy about a human finally understanding them. His brain couldn't register such a quick twist in the atmosphere, and all he could do was stare.

"Raph! Why did you do that?!" Don exclaims in bewilderment, his eyes wide with worry. "You've almost made her go into a full blown panic attack!"

Raphael's anger drains from his eyes and his brain clears of the color crimson. He turns to me- his features slowly soften at the sight of my trembling body and tears. That's when realization suddenly hit him like a slap to the face.

"I.. I didn't-" Raphael shakes his head, slowly backing away. "I just.." He hangs his head for a moment, eyes closed tightly, then spins around and runs away

"Grace! Grace it's okay!" Mikey sits next to me and puts his hands on my shoulders, his tone gentle but firm. "Calm down, Grace. It's alright now."

I open my eyes at his voice, hiccuping so hard it made my chest hurt. My breathing shutters and I try to heavily choke down some air. My eyes dart from Donnie, to Leo, then to Mikey sitting next to me; he is wearing an apprehensive look, and his hands lightly grip my shoulders.

"..Wha-" I stop to cough at a sore and dry feeling in my throat.

_'Did I really yell that loud?'_

"Are you okay?" Donatello asks anxiously. "I'm afraid you just about had a panic attack."

"R-really?" I manage to reply, my mind still in a daze.

"Yes, but you feel okay now, right?"

".. Yes." I slowly nod, Raphael's bitter words replying over and over again in my head.

_'..What if- No, I haven't done anything wrong...' _

* * *

"Night, Grace." Michelangelo ruffles my wavy hair on the way to his bedroom, yawning twice before he even reached the doorway.

"Goodnight." I grin and brush away some hair that had fallen into my face.

It's really late, most likely close to one in the morning. Mikey's brothers had gone to bed earlier but he stayed up and watched some TV with me; I don't understand why he did though, because I could tell he was very tired.

I did decide to stay here with them overnight, and then leave really early in the morning, but not because of the time. I chose to stay because I wanted to show Raphael that I wasn't lying, or whatever he thought I was doing.. Now that I think about it, I can see why he would be so sensitive about what I had said to him and his brothers..

I slide further under my blanket on the couch, slowly closing my eyes as I start to drift off; the pain killers Don had given me are finally kicking in. "..Tullius." I feel around for my cat to make sure he's still with me; when my fingertips brush over his soft fur, I smile and pet his head. "Nighty night, Tullius."

* * *

"Grace." A voice whispers my name. I stir a bit at the sound, my mind still half asleep. My skin feels the soft and warm texture of what I lay on, which makes my mind almost slip back into deep sleep. Yet, before it could retreat back to the slumber, the warm texture against my back gradually grows cold. The colder the feeling became, the more rough the texture against my back grew.

Following the diminish in temperature, my arms become cold, then my legs. The back of my head felt it next, the cold, ridged touch that made my back ache. My eyes open wide, my brain fully awake now. A bolt of panic immediately runs through my body at the sight of an eerie mist hovering above me. I sit up in a flash, anxiously eying the thick fog that choked the gray and dull atmosphere around me.

'_This isn't… I'm not in the sewer...'_

I notice that I'm sitting on cold asphalt, it's small rocks pushing painfully into my hands. At the sudden realization of pain I scramble to my feet. I brush the rocks from my hands, dirt being left behind in streaks on my palms. I then look around in timid confusion, the fog making it almost impossible to see my surroundings.

'_Where am I? Where-?'_

My hands start to tremble along with my chattering teeth, the air growing even colder. I stare distantly into the fog with building distress, my brain blank with no idea of what I should do. I stand stiffly for another second before opening my mouth to call out, "Muh-Mikey are you here?" I hesitantly turn to my left. "Leo? Donnie?" I slowly look over my shoulder, my voice almost a whisper. "..Raph?"

When no reply is heard, I am sent into a paranoid, bundle of nerves. It's_ extremely_ quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It's so unnatural for the city that never sleeps, and the silence made me even more nervous.

"Grace."

I hear the same voice whisper again. The whisper is so soft, and so faint, that I could only hear it if it was murmured into my ear. I look around; there is no one with me, but I still clearly heard the voice.

"Grace."

I twitch with a gasp, my body beginning to shake in fear. The voice sounded even closer, so close I thought I had felt warm breath against my ear. My hands quickly cover my ears, hoping to protect them from the whisper's breath.

'_This is too much! What should I do? What should I do?!'_

"Grace."

"N-no! Leave me alone!" I shout, my voice echoing in the thick atmosphere.

I then hear the loud scrape of iron against asphalt, making me almost jump out of my skin. I whip around towards the sound, my eyes looking for anything other than fog. "Hello? Is someone there!?" I restlessly stare ahead, hoping I could see someone, anyone that could tell me where I am. Just then, the outline of a person appears in the mist. I smile in relief and take a step towards them. "Hello? C-can you please help me? I don't.." My voice fades away as three more outlines appear, but when they showed, the one I saw first stopped walking. I gaze at the four, goose bumps covering my skin. It looks as if they're just.. _Staring_ at me. "..Hello?" I call to them.

The first outline moves again, and the other three follow behind. Instead of moving closer another time, I start to step backwards.

'_This isn't right.. Why-'_

The unknown figures suddenly break out into a sprint towards me. My eyes grow wide in terror and I spin around, my legs dashing forward as fast as they can. Horror grips my body as adrenaline roughly pumps through my veins, tears filling my eyes at the sounds of their pounding feet growing closer and closer.

Just when I think they're about to grab me, my feet leave the feel of asphalt and hang in midair. This felt so familiar, like it had happened before.. It hit me. The feel of nothing but air, my heart leaping into my throat, my brain going blank; this _did_ happen before.

Before I could fully grasp what was happening, I hit the sewer floor with a loud **pop**_. _The sound of bone cracking in two echoes through the sewer, then it went silent..

I can't move, make noises, think, or feel. Even though I can't think, somehow, I _know_ I'm dead.

Now, I do the only things I can do; gaze up at the opening I fell through, and listen..

I blink slowly as light pierces through the fog, and sunlight pours into the sewer. The light washes over me like a stream, warming my body and the cold floor I lie on. The floor becomes softer the warmer my body gets, and the softer of texture I feel, the more I drift away.. My eyes eventually close, a salty liquid lightly running from them; the droplets make their way down the sides of my face, and quietly onto the ground..

* * *

"Grace! Wake up!"

Someone holds my shoulders and shakes me. I jerk my eyes open at the shaking to see Mikey, an expression of relief crossing his face.

"Shell, Grace, you were beginning to worry me! I went to the kitchen for some water then saw you over here tossin' and turnin'." He holds out a tissue to me. "Here."

"Huh?"

"Um, you're crying, Grace. Were you having a nightmare?"

"..Oh." I take the tissue and wipe at my eyes. "Yeah.. But I'm fine."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks empathetically.

"No, no, I just-" I breathe deeply, tears forming in my eyes again. "I know this is asking a lot, but can you please take me home? I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused.."

"No, it's alright! And sure I'll take you home." He grins and lifts me up off the couch, covering me with the blanket. "I'd rather sleep in my own bed too."

I sniffle with a soft grin and hold Tullius close to my chest. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble at all."

The three of us travel through the damp sewers then up to an empty and dark alleyway. Even though it's still very dark, I notice that it's the same alleyway next to my building, which means that I'm getting very close to a nice shower and to sleeping in my own bed.

"Hold on, Grace." Mikey suddenly places me over his shoulder and reaches up with one hand to grab onto the fire escape ladder.

"Eek!" I squeak and almost drop Tullius, thinking to myself, _'Geez, he could've warned me!' _My cheeks turn crimson and I go to cover my red face, but I soon realize that I can't. I let out a quiet sigh at this and pout. _'This is so embarrassing..'_

"What floor is your apartment on?" Mikey steps onto a platform and switches my position back into his arms again.

"The 10th floor," I reply, rearranging Tullius in my arms.

"Alright! You'll be home in no time!"

"Uh, yay..!" I shortly regret saying that because of how awkward and shy it sounded. So much for trying to be outgoing!

He starts his journey up to the tenth floor, then questions, "Can I ask you something?"

"Um, sure."

"How can you be so quiet all the time?" His expression grows puzzled. "I mean, I have an opinion to almost everything I hear, and I tell them as much as I can!"

I giggle quietly. "Well.. I guess I don't really care to give my opinion much. I'm more of a.. Listener, or observer."

"Is that it? Whoa! I don't think I could do that."

My tone softens, "I guess you could also say that I'm really, er.. Shy."

Mikey stops climbing the iron steps to look at me. "Oooh.. I see now." He smiles and resumes the trip upwards. "That's cool! I think it makes you kind of mysterious."

I knit my brows together in thought, _'Huh.. Never thought about it that way. I hope everyone thinks of it that way.'_

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

I look up to see a knowing look on Mike's face, which makes me smile bashfully back. "Nothing really."

"Hm.. I don't believe that, but okay!" He stops on the tenth platform and climbs into my open window.

'_I should've closed my window.. I don't want a bunch of flies in my apartment.' _

"Well, here you are." He carefully sits me down on my bed and looks around. "Home, sweet home."

"Yup!" I also look around, happy to finally be back in my own home.

The two of us don't say anything for a moment as we both look around my room, a surprisingly comfortable and pleasant silence filling the air.

"..Sooo," Mikey starts slowly, breaking the quiet. "I guess it's time for me to leave."

I look away from a random, stuffed animal to look back at him. "Oh, yeah." I grin gently, shortly overcoming my shyness to thank him. "Thank you so much. You and your brothers have been a _major_ help. Can you please tell them that for me? Oh, and tell Raphael that I understand, and that he was right. I should've thought first about what I had said, and I can tell he's a great brother to all four of you."

He smiles brightly. "I'll make sure to tell them! And Raph." He backs up towards the window, a light grin replacing his smile as his voice softens. "Bye, Grace. I hope your feet heal real fast."

I smile tenderly. "Bye, Mikey, and they will."

Michelangelo turns away, hesitating, then climbs out the window. Before he disappears into the darkness, he turns back around again. I lift my hand to wave at him, my eyes catching a hint of sadness in his grin. He waves back, then quickly vanishes into the night.

* * *

**A/N: Well! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a lot of fun to type. :) Please review and tell me if you like how the story is going so far!** **And thank you again for reading and reviewing. Love you guys! **

**-KadynG**


	4. Green On the Brain

**A/N: Hello, hello! Ugh, I know it took me forever to post this. I apologize! But anyway, I hope you enjoy!** **(: **

* * *

"Aw, man," Michelangelo sighs heavily, the usual spring in his step gone as he walks down an alleyway. "This is a real bummer..."

"What? Mikey not laughing or jumpin' around?" Raphael steps away from the alley's shadows to stand in front of his brother, a playful smirk on his face. "What has the world come to?"

"Bro!" Mikey leaps excitedly to give him a hug, but is stopped short by Raph's outstretched hand on his face.

"I've already gotten a hug from you once today, I don't need another one."

The orange clad ninja peers through his older brother's fingers, a knowing smile on his face. "But ya know what? It's past one, so you know what that means!" Mikey pushes past his restraint and gives him a big, bear hug. "A Mikey hug for _Raph_!" Mikey's voice strains on his last word as he squeezes his arms tightly around Raph.

Raphael quickly pushes him off with a grunt. "I swear you could squeeze the life outta someone with your hugs."

"I just wanna make sure my feelings get across." He replies nonchalantly.

"We'll mission accomplished, because I can definitely feel them in my arms." The red masked turtle rubs his throbbing arms, a scowl on his face. "Anyway, what are you doing out so late?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, dude." Mikey furrows his brows, puzzled. "I thought you would've been back at home by now."

"I- Er.." Raph looks away and sighs in frustration. "I feel really bad about blowin' up at Grace. I mean, what she said was true, I just doubted her... A lot."

"Aw, it's okay, Raph." Mikey pats his shoulder with a grin then moves past him. "She understands why you did that."

Raphael turns and follows behind him. "And how do you know that, Mr. Smarty Pants?"

"I don't wear pants."

"You know what I mean." He snaps back.

"I mean she actually told me that she understands why you did what you did." He removes a manhole cover then looks up and over his shoulder at Raphael. "She said you were right to doubt and that you're a good brother and you mean well." The orange masked ninja stands with a warm smile. "You can be pretty harsh at times, but you are an awesome brother, Raphie."

Raph shoves him aside, but can't help but grin widely. "Don't call me that, ya nut ball." He jumps forward and drops down into the manhole, smoothly landing on his feet on the damp ground below.

Michelangelo chuckles and disappears after him. He swiftly grabs the sewer ladder below with both hands, upside down, and moves the manhole cover back into place with his foot.

"Hey, you never told me what you were doing top-side so late."

Mikey drops down into a walk next to Raph and says, "Oh, I had just taken Grace back home when I ran into you."

Raph quickly jerks to a stop. "Wait what?! _Rrgh-!_ Mikey!" He throws his hands up in the air. "Why didn't ya tell me this before we got down here?!"

Mike holds up his hands in defense. "Whaaat? What's the problem?"

"I want to apologize to her, dipstick. What else?"

"I didn't know!"

"Well you should've known! I'm not that cold, Mikey. Of course I'm gonna say I'm sorry." He turns and goes to climb back up the ladder, grumbling complaints under his breath.

His orange masked brother goes to follow him, but stops and grabs his shoulder instead. "Wait, Raph."

"What _now_, Mikey?" He brushes his hand away with an annoyed glare. "Don't you want me to apologize to your little girlfriend?"

"Wha-" Mikey shakes his head. "She's not my girlfriend! And what I'm trying to say is that you should just leave her alone."

"What?" Raphael replies incredulously, "Are you hearing yourself right now? You're telling me not to go and apologize to someone that almost went into a _panic_ attack because of me." He roughly jabs at Mikey's chest as he talks, "And you're _actually_ telling _me _not to go? Heh.. If you knew what was good for ya," he snarls huskily, "you wouldn't be ordering me around."

Michelangelo steps back, his eyes narrowing sharply. "I'm not ordering you around, Raph. I just think we should get out of her life as soon as we can."

"And why do you think that wise guy?"

"Because she woke up from a nightmare. Crying. Then she asked me to take her home, and if my calculations are correct," He mimics Donnie. "That's not a good sign, bro. I'm pretty sure this day has scarred her for the rest of her life."

The hot-headed ninja stares at him with knitted brows, surprised that Mikey could actually be right about something, but it just doesn't seem right to him not to apologize. "... Alright, Michelangelo." He crosses his arms across his chest, an expectant look on his face. "If you think that's the best thing to do, fine. I won't bother her. But I still think it's wrong not to apologize to her."

"I know, but.. It seems she didn't take being around us very well, not as well as I thought she would.. I mean, April got used to us pretty quickly."

"Yeah, well, everyone is different, Mikey. April is more outgoing, while Grace was a lot more timid, and some people just don't react well to things out of the ordinary.. Let's just hope she takes the knowing of our existence okay."

* * *

The sun slowly rises on a chilly, Saturday morning, casting beautiful shades of orange and yellow across the sky. I lay in my warm bed, gazing out my window at the bright display. I had only woken up a little while ago and was about to head down stairs for breakfast, like any other Saturday, until I felt strong pains in my feet and knees.. That's when all the events of last night came rushing back to me. Now, I don't feel like eating, or getting up, I just purely feel like lying in bed and not moving a single muscle. "… Did all of that really happen?" I whisper out loud to myself, "Was it a dream?"

My eyes wander around my room, my thoughts skipping from one thing to another. I ask myself the same questions over and over again, _'Were they real? Did I actually fall into a sewer? Did turtle guys named after Renaissance artists actually goof off and joke around like it was their normal routine? ... Did a mutant turtle's such strong love for his three brothers really exist?'_  
Eventually, I came to realize that I was only trying to avoid something by asking myself these questions repeatedly; the idea of simply looking at my knees to see if last night was reality, and not just a dream.

".. I don't even have to look to know," I begin quietly. "I know it was all just a dream. None of it was real. I mean, I watched the discovery channel the other day, and it was probably about turtles. Yeah, it was definitely about turtles," I lie to myself. "So this pain is just all in my head! I'm fine!" I sit up in a flash and push the covers off my body, purposely not looking at my knees. "Man, I'm hungry! And I think I smell sausage cooking." I swing my legs around to the side of my bed to stand. "Time to go an-!"

The sound of a body crashing hard against the wooden floor tolls sickeningly in my ears. A gasp escapes me and my hands rush to hold my throbbing feet. "N-" I clench my teeth tightly together, whimpering at the intense pain. "N.. No!" I drop my feet with a grunt and struggle to my knees, hissing at the prickling feeling pulsing through them. "It's not..!" I grab the edge of the bed and drag my upper body up onto it, my lips quivering from building tears. _"Real! _It's not_ real!" _

Past images of the fall, the mutant's heated questioning, and the nightmare all fiercely invades my head. The lingering feeling of the orange clad turtle's smooth and human-like skin surfaces, and my fingertips tingle with the texture of his rough shell. "..It can't be.." I stare vacantly at my hands, my voice a trembling whisper, "This is a dream. All of it. Yesterday, today, and right now. It's all a dream." My tone turns anxious with urgency, my chest heaving air heavily, "I have to wake up." I hurriedly pinch the skin on my arm with every bit of strength my fingers have, squeezing harder and harder every second until the spot turned crimson. "Wake up! Wake _up!_" I tear my hand away when I couldn't take the pain anymore, more tears swelling in my eyes at the failure. "_Why?!_" I slam my fist into the bed with gritted teeth. "Why is this happening to me?!"

"Grace?" My mother's gentle voice from the hallway penetrates through my raging thoughts and brings me back from the growing madness. "Is everything okay, sweetheart? I thought I heard something fall." At the sound of my door opening I look to see her standing in the doorway. Her expression turns from concern to distress at the sight of my red and tear streaked face. "Grace? Grace what's wrong?" She jogs over and falls to her knees at my side. "Are you hurt?"

With trembling hands I turn to her, extremely relieved to see someone familiar and human. "Mom.. I.." was all I managed before breaking down into a sob, knowing I couldn't tell her everything because if I did, she would think I'm going insane. I'd have to keep most of the things troubling me to myself, and I _hated_ it.

My mother quickly pulls me into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around me like a warm shelter.

"What's wrong?" She asks gently, brushing away my thick, auburn hair. "Did you fall?"

I nod my head, my voice soft and hoarse. "Yeah, but... I had a terrible dream, too."

She sighs with relief, thankful that I'm not seriously injured. "Well it's alright now, Grace. You're okay. It was only a dream- it wasn't real." She places a kiss on the top of my head, her comforting words unknowingly leaving a disturbing thought in my mind.

_'Oh but it __**is**__ real, very __**real**__…' _

* * *

Time escapes me as I lay in my bed, an untouched and closed book at my side. I have a book report due next week, and I thought it would be best to keep my thoughts occupied with something other than.. _Them_. However, no matter how hard I try, I just can't keep my mind off the subject of mutant turtles. I'm also not sure of how I feel towards them right now; I don't hate them, nor do I like them, they're just.. _There_.

I let out a tired sigh for the fifth time and put the book on my bedside table. I accomplished nothing today, but I feel like I just ran a mile. I guess you could say my little "break down" drained any energy I had.

I turn off the lamp next to me and roll over, my arms automatically grabbing a pillow to hold; clutching a pillow close always helps me to fall asleep, and right now, I definitely need all the help I can get. "..Yeah, I'm not going to sleep any time soon." I bury my face in the pillow with a groan, today's events still swimming around in my head.

Although many things have happened, one occurrence in particular stood out after my crying fit; the moment when I got the idea to tell someone of the turtle's existence, and had hoped that they would be _destroyed_. I wasn't going to care if whomever I told thought I wasn't right in the head, I just wanted the turtles wiped from the face of the Earth. I made myself believe they were a threat to society and uncaring monsters with only the want to , before I did anything stupid and rash, I came to my senses when I finally saw the band aids on my knees.. I felt like I needed to kick myself afterwards, and then sit in a corner for a time out; I fussed at myself for the longest time, feeling like an uncaring monster and angry at myself for thinking something so sinister towards innocent organisms.. "..Like me." I whisper the words out loud, words I had said to the four brothers before all of the insanity began. The memories of their human-like qualities surfaced through the bitter ones, planting images of their smiling or teasing expressions in my mind. The act of their different personalities and choice of words resurfaced, and with those came their names. "..Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.." I close my eyes, the ache in my muscles dispersing. "That's who they are.. Leonard, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.. They're caring and fun humans with turtle on the side.."

I begin to doze off with that thought, sleep coming a lot more quickly than I thought it would.

* * *

The next day, a warmer Sunday morning, Tullius scratches at my window. I turn to him in a desk chair, placing my half-read book in my lap. "What are you doing, Tullius? I don't want scratches on my window." I get up, tossing the book towards the foot of my bed, and limp over to the orange kitten in annoyance. "Stop tha-" My eyes land on a piece of notebook paper taped to the bottom of my window, it's unattached side fluttering wildly in the wind. Afraid of it blowing away, I unlock the window and push it open a little. I lean out twisting my upper body and carefully grab the paper, safely bringing it inside the calmer atmosphere.

"Well." I grin with curiosity. "I wonder what this could be."

I quickly remove the tape, going to unfold the paper, but find the sides also taped. I cock my head to one side, brows furrowed in question as my eyes peer down into the little opening of the homemade package.

".. Could it be," I mummer softly, pulling two, large band-aids from the folded paper, "From them?" I stare at the square bandages, the sight making my heart pump faster. I look hesitantly inside the paper-pouch once more to see words written up it's sides. I swallow hard, and with growing anticipation, carefully peel off the rest of the tape to find a note scrawled across it. My hands grip the paper tightly as I read:

_'Hey, this is Raphael. I just wanted to apologize for getting so angry with you, and I would be doing this in, well, turtle, but my brothers and I thought it would be best to leave you be as soon as we could. So, yeah, I'm really sorry and I hope you feel better soon; Donnie even included some band-aids for your knees. Oh, and Mikey said that you're "awesome!" and asked if you could say hi to Tullius for him, don't mind him though- he's a cheese-head._

_-Raph'_

* * *

"Grace! Hellooo? You're needed back in reality!"

"..Huh?" I blink, my friend's voice bringing me back from deep thought.

"Welcome back, stupid, you knocked over your drink." She points to the puddle of water sitting in front of me on the lunchroom table.

I look and gasp, my hand snatching a napkin from her food tray to soak up the water. "Oops!"

"Okay.. I didn't need that anyway." She mumbles and looks towards her greasy pizza.

"Aw, man." I push her napkin away then use mine to mop up the last of the mess. "Now I won't have any water to drink during third and fourth block." I sigh heavily and stare at my now empty water bottle, sadly slumping my shoulders. "Darn it.."

My best friend studies my face with knitted brows, her lips pursed tightly with worry. ".. Kadyn," She begins quietly, lifting her hand to slowly pat my back. "You haven't been acting yourself lately.. What's going on?"

I continue to stare at my empty water bottle. A knot forms in my throat, telling me that if I say anything, I'll surely choke up. I can't say anything anyway, because who is going to believe my little story about meeting mutant turtles? No one. Not even Sarah, my best friend. I'll have to keep it to myself, or else people will think I need mental help. ".. I'm sorry. I'm just stressed. I have a lot of projects due soon, and I'm tired. I just need to go to bed early tonight." I finally meet her gaze, a fake grin spreading across my face. "I'm fine."

Sarah gives me an unsure look, but grins back. "Alright.. But you do know you can talk to me about _anything_, right?"

"Yeah.."

"Good." She gives me another pat on the back before turning to her pepperoni pizza again.

I look straight ahead, the same, distracting thought coming back to swim around in my head.

_'Why do I want to see them again?'_

* * *

**A/N: Welp! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. (: Leave a review and tell me if you like how this is going! And thanks again for the reviews. Love you guys!**

**-KadynG**


End file.
